That Bird Blog – Bird Care and History for Pet Birds

 

Several conservation organizations have hit upon simple ways to turn the observations of casual birders into valuable conservation data.  If you enjoy birding, why not also ensure that your hobby helps to preserve your favorite creatures….it really is very simple to become involved.  As one who has been involved in this and related programs for years, I can assure you that it is quite gratifying to know that your efforts will be put to practical use in helping to conserve local birds.  Enjoy!

The Christmas Bird Count

At 109 years old, the National Audubon Society’s Christmas Bird Count is the nation’s longest-running wildlife census.  Each year tens of thousands of “citizen scientists” count birds in their neighborhoods and submit their observations to the Audubon Society for use in assessing avian health and population trends.  This information has also helped to support the passage of protective legislation for the black duck and several other species, and has been used to document the spread of West Nile Virus and other health hazards.

Bird count data has also been incorporated into two government reports, both of which have direct bearing on future conservation initiatives.  Common Birds in Decline has established that populations of many formerly abundant birds have plunged by 65-80% over the past 40 years, while Watchlist 2007 documents 178 mainland and 39 Hawaiian bird species in need of immediate protection.

You can learn how to become involved at:

http://www.audubon.org/bird/cbc/getinvolved.HTML

To help make sure that there are plenty of birds around to count, please check out our wild bird foods, feeders and other supplies.

 

 

The 27-30 parrots in the Genus Amazona, collectively known as “Amazons”, are among the world’s most popular avian pets.  Indeed, they represent, at least to the general (i.e. “non-bird keeping”) public, the “typical” parrot.  But they are far from typical in any manner, and the various species, while sharing some characteristics, differ greatly from one another.

I’d like to devote a good deal of time to this important and popular group, with an emphasis on the general personality traits of the various species.  I’ll start here with those that are well-suited for beginners, and in future articles will cover larger Amazons, as well as some of the lesser-known and rare species.  I’ll also include information on Amazons in the wild from time to time.

Range

Amazons of one kind of another range throughout much of Central and South America, and also occur on a number of Caribbean islands.  The group includes quite common, rare and recently-extinct species.

General Characteristics

Amazons are feisty birds overall, much given to noisy bickering among themselves and nearly always on the go.  They are quite hardy, with longevities exceeding 80 years for some species.  They are considered by aviculturists to among the most intelligent and trainable of the parrots, and many individuals learn to speak well.  Most bond strongly to their owners, and so make great companions.

Choosing a Species

Because the various Amazons are superficially similar – medium to large, mainly green, stoutly-built parrots with short, rounded tails, there is sometimes a tendency to lump them together, as regards their suitability as pets.  However, as I hope to illustrate, care should be taken to match one’s personality with that of the parrot when choosing a pet.  Of course, individual birds vary greatly within the same species, but there are some general species’ characteristics that can be helpful.

Surprisingly, the qualities mentioned in the preceding section render some Amazon species as poor choices for beginning parrot-keepers.  Some are just too strong-willed and feisty, and need a great deal of room and attention.  They quickly learn (almost always far sooner than their owners!) how to dominate their caretakers, and what they can get away with.  These types, which I’ll cover in the future, are best left to experienced keepers.

Neophyte parrot fanciers do best with the smaller, quieter varieties that tend to have calm demeanors and a less “pushy” personality.  I’ll start off with some examples of these.

Lilac-Crowned or Finsch’s Amazon, Amazona finschi

Although well-known in captivity, this delightful parrot’s natural range is limited to foothills and mountainous terrain in western Mexico.  The green feathers have a dark tint to their edges, lending the bird a quite unique appearance, and there is an attractive purple cast to the head.  One of the smaller Amazons, it tops out at about 12 inches in length.

Lilac-crowned Amazons are shyer than most of their relatives, and well-suited to a calm owner and quiet household.  They are good talkers, and, if handled gently, make fine pets.

Blue-Fronted Amazon, Amazona aestiva aestiva

The large range of this parrot extends from northeastern Brazil to Paraguay and northern Argentina.  It seems, fortunately, to be a bit more resilient than other parrots as regards habitat loss, and is still to be found in good numbers in many areas.

Slightly larger than the lilac-crowned Amazon, the blue-fronted is also a good deal more vigorous and definitely a bit more of a challenge,  That being said, it is an easily managed bird in the right hands, and is regarded as an excellent talker.  They are quite energetic, and need to kept busy if they are to do well.

Blue-fronted Amazons have always been popular in Europe, but lag behind other Amazons here in the USA.  Green in color and topped with a blue and yellow head, their unusually large eyes lend them a sensitive, “knowing” demeanor.

 

You can read about the natural history and conservation needs of the lilac-crowned Amazon at:

http://www.birdlife.org/datazone/species/index.html?action=SpcHTMDetails.asp&sid=1670&m=0

Lilac  Crowned Amazon Photo referenced from Wikipedia, originally published by Ruth Rogers, and shared under Creative Commons Share 2.0

Blue-fronted Amazon picture referenced from Wikipedia, originally published by Snowmanradio, and shared under Creative Commons Share 2.0

 

A wide and varied range of factors can lead to low egg output, poor hatch rate or infertile eggs.  Today I’d like to present a general framework for looking at the problem.  I’ll address individual topics in detail in future articles…please also see the other articles on this blog, noted below, for further information.

Environmental Factors

It is important to be well-versed in the natural history of the species that you keep.  Knowing when your birds breed in the wild will give you an indication of what might stimulate them in captivity.  Having a compatible pair is often not enough to insure success – the hen may lay, but fertility can be affected if natural breeding stimuli are missing.  If you are experiencing difficulties, go beyond avicultural articles in your reading and look how the bird lives in nature…most of what we know about breeding animals of all types originated in this manner.

An increase in temperature, day length or humidity/rainfall may be required.  In many cases, light timers, humidifiers and portable room heaters can be used to create the appropriate conditions.

The appearance of a nest box or suitable nest site can be a powerful breeding stimulus, especially when combined with other environmental changes as mentioned above.

Weather and seasonal changes often bring with them novel food items, or an increase in the availability of certain foods.  The provision of live insects is a time-honored zoo and avicultural technique for certain species.  Budding trees, sprouting grasses or the ripening of specific fruits may also be important in stimulating reproduction…again, it is important to study your bird’s natural history.

Behavioral Factors

Same-sex pairs form among captive birds of many species.  For those which are not sexually dimorphic, courtship behavior may not be a reliable indication of a successfully mated pair.  Sexing via feather analysis or laparoscopy may be necessary.

Paired birds that live together but fail to mate are sometimes stimulated by a period of separation.

Imprinted, hand-raised and fostered birds sometimes fail to form pair bonds and mate successfully.

Nutritional Factors

Review your bird’s diet carefully, as vitamin and mineral deficiencies are often behind infertility.  Obesity is a cause for concern as well.

Genetic Factors

Inbreeding can reduce fertility.  Inbreeding depression is especially common among rare birds which originated from a small pool of founding stock.  You may also run into this problem with common species if you consistently purchase your birds from the same source.  Check that your supplier deals with various breeders, to assure that the birds in your collection are more likely to be unrelated.

Reproductive Disorders

If all else seems in order, you may wish to have your birds evaluated by a veterinarian, to rule any of the more commonly encountered avian reproductive disorders.

 

Further information on this topic may be found in the following articles:

Diagnosis and Treatment of Ailments Affilicting Various Aviary Birds 

Nests, Nesting and Nesting Materials for Finches, Canaries Lovebirds and Other Species

Lighting for Your Pet Bird and the Importance of Photoperiod

 

Parrot finches are aptly named…the bright green plumage common to many, set off by red and blue, does bring to mind a tiny Amazon parrot.  They are quite unique in appearance from other finches, and once seen cannot easily be mistaken for anything else.  Some are among the most highly prized of all cage birds, but 2 species are well established in captivity and readily available.

Some Preliminary Considerations

Parrot finches average only 5 inches in length, but are very active, even by finch standards.  They should be given a larger cage than their size alone would indicate.  All species are native to warm climates and, while some can be acclimatized to cool temperatures, they do best when kept fairly warm.

Diet

Dietary variety is an important consideration in keeping parrot finches…all species that are regularly kept take a wider range of food than do most related birds.  In order to ensure that all bases are covered, the basic diet should consist of a mix of 2 high quality foods, such as Fiesta Finch Food  and Vita Bird Finch Food.

Parrot finches seem to have fairly high protein requirements, and relish egg food and small insects.  Bits of fruit and sprouts  should also be offered regularly.

Range

Parrot finches occur from Southeast Asia to New Guinea and northern Australia, and on many of the numerous islands within that range.  Twelve to thirteen species are recognized.  The popular gouldian finch was formerly classified as a parrot finch, but most ornithologists no longer classify it so.

Popular Species

The blue-faced parrot finch, E. trichroa, is the most commonly seen species and breeds well in captivity.  The red-headed parrot finch, E. psittacea, is also fairly well known…in the wild it is found only on New Caledonia.  One of the most colorful parrot finches is the nonpareil, or pintailed parrot finch, E. prasina.  Attractively clad in blue, red, yellow and green, this little gem is a bit delicate and does not breed as readily as the 2 species just mentioned.

You can read about the natural history and conservation status of the nonpareil and other parrot finches at:

http://www.birdlife.org/datazone/species/index.html?action=SpcHTMDetails.asp&sid=8684&m=0

This website has some good parrot finch pictures. Check them out here.

 

 

 

Florida’s only native parrot, the Carolina parakeet, is unfortunately no longer with us, having been hunted out of existence in the early 1900’s.  But at least 40 other parrot species have taken up residence in the Sunshine State (74 species have been sighted there since the 1960’s), and a recent survey reveals that most have established breeding populations.

Included among these in residence are Goffin’s cockatoos, chestnut-fronted macaws, African gray parrots, black-headed and red-throated parakeets, nearly every commonly-kept Amazon and mitred and sun conures.  Both green-winged and blue and gold macaws are regularly sighted, but breeding success has not been documented.

One of the most surprising discoveries has been a robust population of red-crowned Amazon parrots, a species considered quite threatened in its native northeastern Mexico.  Roosting aggregations of 100-200+ birds have been observed, and breeding pairs were been documented in Fort Lauderdale as far back as the early 1970’s.  A reintroduction program, using individuals trapped in Florida, is under consideration.

As a naturalist with wide interests, I’m awed by Florida’s introduced wildlife, despite the environmental havoc that has resulted.  In addition to some of the birds mentioned above, I have also observed dozens of species of introduced fishes, reptiles, amphibians, insects and spiders.  Exotic mammals have been the biggest surprise – African pouched rats, capybara, agoutis and a number of other surprising finds await those who wander afield in this most unusual state.

 

An in depth Florida Field Naturalist article on introduced parrots is posted at http://www.fosbirds.org/FFN/Articles/FFNv30n4p111-131Pranty.pdf

Image referenced from Wikipedia and originally posted by Roger Moore Glandauer.